Travel chronicles of Joel Smoker - son of the Australian outback, country musician, artist, photographer, ceramicist and writer

Monday, August 12, 2013

Pilbara & Kimberley trip July 2013

PILBARA
& KIMBERLEY TRIP JOURNAL - JULY 2013

Sunday
30 June

Most
of the packing for this trip has been done the previously including yesterday installing
the metal roof rack on top of the Pajero and filling it with the second spare
tyre, three metal jerry cans, a plastic jerry can and the kangaroo jack. The
trip to the Kimberley will be easy but we are also planning to drive up the Gibb
River Road so extra gear is called for, including a box of emergency gear like a
tyre repair kit, tow rope and tools. The weekend before, we packed the Engel
fridge, an esky, a box of cooking utensils, a hot pot, a two burner gas stove but
no gas bottle, a tent, two camp stretchers and a water bottle. Today we packed
two suit cases, two shoe bags, two pillows, two iPads, my drawing folder and
pastel pencils, a box of sample postcards, books and CDs, my camera, a video
camera, our personal bags and last, but not least, my laptop. We don’t travel
light!

We’re running late as we have to leave Sox,
the half breed Corgi/Sheep dog cross, withPrideland Kennels at Muchea, so I ring and explain that
we won’t be there by the designated latest time of 11.00 pm. We get there around
11.30 and book Sox in. The next stop is the Muchea Service Station where we
fuel up and Lexie buys sandwiches that are heat sealed and come from
Queensland. Don’t we make sandwiches here anymore?

Great Northern Highway north of Wubin

We turn back and reach the Great Northern
Highway and turn left, headed north and hopefully into warmer weather. It’s an
uneventful run to our lunch stop at Dallwallinu. By the time we reach Mt Magnet
the sky is darkening and we ring ahead to the Auski Motel in Meekathara to say
that we should be there by 7.30 in time to place an order for stir fry and rice
as that is the latest the chef will take orders. This ensures a swift drive
through the night when not getting stuck behind road trains at various
intervals. We make it by a bit over 7.30 pm and the order is sent through to
the kitchen. Dinner is good and we retire to our unit tired and ready to sleep.

Monday 1 July

After breakfast I drop a copy of my new
The Human Condition CD off at the Shire Office to be passed on to the community
radio station which is currently in recess until they organise a new committee.
I hope they get to play it. We then drive out on the road north competing with
numerous road trains with oversize loads and scout vehicles. The mining boom
stills seems to be still in progress if the number of prefab buildings headed
for the Pilbara is any indication.

Big truck passing trucks with buildings G N Highway

We change drivers regularly until we get
to Newman where our first stop is the Visitor Centre. I drop off a sample of
one of my drawing reproductions from the Way Out West Series book and another
one of my The Human Condition CDs for the local radio station as Tracey, the
manager, knows the guy who runs it. We then drive to the Hardware store and
purchase a small gas bottle and get it filled as we forgot to pack one before
we left. The guy who does this reckons the waterfall will be flowing well at Hamersley
Gorge which is good news.

After fuelling up we are back on the road again and, after passing the
big hill called The Governor, we take the Karijini National Park turnoff on the
left. Driving past the Hamersley Range is exciting as we see the mountains
change colour with the sun and clouds. As the sun sets we drive into Tom Price,
the epitome of a mining company town. Everything’s big. The trucks are big. The
miners are big. The hills are big. The trains are big. It’s a big town.

We book in at the Tom Price Caravan Park and in the fading light set up
the tent and camper stretchers. By the time we’re organised it’s dark so we go
in search of dinner and find it at the Moon Palace Chinese Restaurant. Washed
down with a glass of white wine it is fitting end to the day. This is our first
night in the tent on the new camp stretchers so it takes a bit to get organised
but we’re soon tucked up and ready for sleep, notwithstanding the noisy campers
in the caravan across the way.

Tuesday 2 July

Roadworks into Hamersley Gorge

The plan for today is to drive out to Hamersley Gorge to get photos of
the water fall up the back of the gorge. My previous photos weren’t much good.
I’d also like to do a drawing there. We drive up to the railway crossing and
have to wait for one of the big iron ore trains. It seems to run forever. We
stop at the Visitor Centre to make sure the road is open to the gorge, which it
is. I also drop off a sample of one of my drawing reproductions. Our next stop
is Gumala Radio at the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation where I leave a copy of my
new CD. On my way back to the car an Aboriginal woman catches up with me and
invites me back to the stations where I have a chat with Tadum Lockyer the
radio announcer. We’ve met before and he is happy to tee up an interview for
the next day.

Hamersley Gorge

We take the Roebourne Road out of town and after 65 km get to Hamersley
Gorge. The last part of the road is bitumen and the carpark and entrance to the
gorge have been upgraded substantially since our last visit. There is a viewing
platform and extra steps joining the previous steps down the side of the cliff
to the gorge below. It is a beautiful setting with water cascading down to a
main waterhole that flows on through a narrow series of gorge walls and out
down the river’s watercourse. After taking photos there I make my way up past the
waterfall though a series of pools to a place where water flows down through
picturesque rock walls. It’s a dangerous climb to get to this spot but well
worth it. Once I’ve taken the photos I came to take I clamber back to where
Lexie has been resting next to the main waterhole.

Hamersley Gorge waterfall

It’s time for lunch so I climb back up the steep steps and swap the
cameras for our lunch and make my way back down again. It’s good to have rest.
We then both climb back up the steps and I leave Lexie at the car while I climb
back down again, this time with my drawing gear and stool. It’s a bit of a
struggle climbing back to the far waterfall with the gear but eventually I get
there and set up to draw the scene. There are a couple of girls swimming at the
waterfall but it‘s fine by me. It takes me an hour to sketch in the main
details and then I clamber back up the gorge. At one point I slip and my stool
tumbles down into the water and my drawing gear isn’t too far. I manage to
retrieve my stool and take it more carefully, eventually getting back to the
main pool. There our neighbors at the caravan park tell me off and that I drove
off leaving my thermos of coffee behind.

Lexie waiting at Hamersley Gorge

I get back up to the carpark and we drive back to town calling in at the
Visitor Centre to get a pass to go down the train line road to Roebourne. We
have to watch a 20 minute Reo Tinto video about the road to get the pass, which
isn’t such a bad idea. They point out the possible problems that may arise and
let us know that the speed limit is 80 Km per hour. We buy some more things
that we forgot to pack and then head back to our camp for dinner and sleep.

Hamersley Range

Wednesday 3 July

We wake to the sound of rain spattering on our tent and overcast skies.
This calls for a change of plan. The main reason for taking the railway road to
Roebourne was to take photos though the Chichester Range. With the chance of
rain and cloud the chances of getting good photos is limited, so we decide to
save a day and drive directly to Port Hedland via the Great Northern Highway. This
involves driving back past Karijini with the opportunity to drop into the
Karijini Visitor Centre.

Iron ore train Tom Price

After packing up and checking with Tadum Lockyer, who isn’t ready for
an interview, we decide to have breakfast at the Karijini Café. The café is run
by Chinese women and there is a steady stream of miners lining up for
breakfast, not unlike what it must have been like on the goldfields all those
years ago. Breakfast is good and we head out of town for Karijini. Ten
kilometres out of town there is a sign pointing left to Karijini and because I
want to go in at the second turn we drive on.

Mt Bruce, Karijini National Park

The scenery changes and I find it very picturesque but I have an uneasy
feeling that something is wrong. I see creek names I don’t remember and when I
see a sign which says PB 20 I ask Lexie to check the map. She does so and says
the only place it can be is Paraburdoo.
I say it can’t be as we are on the road to the Great Northern Highway.
By the time we reach Paraburdoo it is obvious that I am completely wrong. I
turn around, wondering at my abject failure and we drive back to the Karijini
turnoff and pass a sign that says Port Hedland. There wasn’t a sign that
indicated this before the turnoff but I should have known. Eventually we get to
the second Karijini turnoff and we drive to the Karijini Visitor Centre. This
is a brilliant, architecturally designed building that features slabs of iron
used in minimalist style. Inside, the same high level of taste is used in the
interactive museum and retail shop. Included amongst the books on sale are my
Way Out West Books and I leave a sample of one of my drawing reproductions for
the manager to consider. We drive back out of the park and turn left on to the
Tom Price/Newman Road.

Munjina Roadhouse

Turning left on to the Great Northern Highway we drive till we get to
the Munjina Gorge and are treated to a spectacular drive through red rock
valley. Further on we stop at the Munjina Roadhouse for fuel and lunch. On the
drive through to the North West Coastal Highway we jockey for position with
huge trucks with two or more dogs, passing outcrops of red rocks that stand out
in the sun. If we had more time I would have loved to stop and take photos but
we have to get to Port Hedland by 6.00 pm at the latest.

Lollipop man Port Hedland bridge

As we drive in to Port Hedland we stopped by a lollipop man at a high
bridge and have to wait until a bunch of trucks come over the bridge. On the
other side are substantial earthworks which appear to be part of a major
upgrade of the road into Port Hedland. We drive into town following the iron
ore railway and substantial traffic. Port Hedland is another big town. There
are big tanks, big machines, big buildings and lots more big trucks. The
visitor centre closes at 4.30 pm so we are too late to see them but I check out
the development around the building that they told me about and it looks good.
At the Big 4 Caravan Park we move in to the bunk house where we get a bedroom
and shared kitchen and ablution facilities for $142 a night. It doesn’t take
long for me to rustle up dinner and we settle in for an evening of TV viewing.

Miners disembarking at Port Hedland jetty

Thursday July 4

Today is the big drive to Broome, all 600 kilometres of it. Lexie cooks
dinner in the Magic Pot and we pack it along with everything else. By the time
we purchase the gas we need from the shopping centre it is 10.00 am and time to
fuel up. To get gas for the car we have to eventually go to South Hedland as no
service station in Port Hedland sells
gas.

Broome road sign

Soon we are on the open road
heading north. I stop at the De Grey River, which is flowing, and take some
photos. We change drivers every 100 km and by lunch reach Sandfire Roadhouse
where we fuel up and eat. We watch a Japanese motor bike driver adjust the camera
on his helmet and then kit up. He looks like a Samurai warrior as he mounts his
bike and drives off.

Degrey River

Fueling up Sandfire Roadhouse

We call ahead for accommodation and are told by the lady at Broome
Caravan park that we can’t book ahead but that there will be powered sites
available. As the afternoon comes to a close we turn down Broome Road and find
our way to the caravan park. Our site is under a Tamarind Tree with pindan
floor. We are grateful of the site and set up camp. Lexie adds coconut milk to
the dinner and we enjoy a vegetable green curry and rice. Not bad for camp
cooking. We’re both tired so go to bed as soon as we can.

Friday July 5

Downtown Broome

How has Broome changed since we were last here twenty years ago? We’re
about to find out. The big bend on the
approach to town is still there but so is a big roundabout with a sign pointing
to Cable Beach. We pass the Aboriginal community with a big sign on its fence
saying “No grog for our mob” and “Jesus loves you” which sounds fine to me. At
the next roundabout we take the left turn to Chinatown, which is not the
Chinatown I used to know. It’s now shopping town. Tang’s Chinese Restaurant is
now a hairdresser. No more short soup from Tang’s. Maybe you can get short back
and sides. Chinatown has easily doubled in size but something of the old
corrugated iron look of the past has been retained. Streeter and Males is still
there selling hardware but the old Streeter’s Jetty doesn’t have room for
luggers to tie up there any more. My postcard of Streeter’s Jetty has luggers
tied up to it so I guess you could call it historical.

The Roey

We make the rounds of the pearl emporiums and art and photography
galleries. There is an Aboriginal Art gallery selling art from Utopia, but
Short Street Gallery has work from Kimberley people including works by Maryanne
Downs, old David Down’s wife. We should make an effort to see Maryanne when
we’re in Fitzroy. I want to buy a copy of Steve Hawk’s book on Fitzroy Crossing
and Lexie points out the Kimberley Bookshop so we go and purchase the book.
The owner now lives down south so I’ll have to contact him when we get back to
convince him to purchase more of my The Kimberley Series books as they seem to
have sold the ones he bought. We place
orders for lunch at The Roebuck Hotel, the “Roey”, as it is affectionately
known. It seems to have grown as well.
We take our lunch in the Seaman’s Bar and wait a long time for it to arrive.
The place has filled up with tourists as well as locals. They seem to be doing
a roaring trade.

There are a few places I need to visit and the first is the ABC Radio
Station. Vanessa Mills greets me and I give her a copy of my new The Human
Condition album. She is very friendly and graciously agrees to interview me on
her radio programmer to talk about the new CD. We settle on a Wednesday morning
on our way back south. The next stop is Goolari Media where I check that they
have my new CD (I did send them one). The girl at the counter assures me that
it is on their playlist. I ask to have a look at the Gimme Gimme Club. This is
a corrugated iron building on the premises that is set up for concerts with
sound system and bar. I am planning to apply for an arts grant to tour my new
music through the Kimberley next year and this seems like a possible venue we
could use. It fits the bill and the officer in charge agrees to send me the
information that I need to book it. The next place we visit is Magabala Books
to talk about a possible book publishing deal. The officer responsible for such
matters is away but I leave my contact details. By this time Lexie is tired of
visiting buildings and I take her back to the caravan park for a rest.

Cable Beach

I want to get some photos at Cable Beach and Gantheaum Point so I drive
back into town. My first stop is Cable Beach, which hasn’t changed all that much
thank goodness. It is well patronised and I get some Ken Done type photographs.
Gantheaum Point is a different story. It is late afternoon and the setting sun
lights up the orange and white rocks providing good photographic possibilities.
It’s a pity all those other pesky tourists think the same. I stay to watch the
sun set over the Indian Ocean and it is a serene scene as we all sit and watch
the yellow sun disappear.

Gantheum Point

On the way back I drop in to the Cable Beach Club and leave a copy of my
The Kimberly Series book and some sample postcards at the souvenir shop inside.
The entrance to the Club is visually stunning with tall red logs holding up the
Bali style verandah. The building is a testament to the good taste and distinctive
style that Alistair McAlpine brought to Broome. It was his vision that put
Broome on the map.

Sunset Gantheum Point

It is dark when I get back. I wake Lexie and prepare dinner. The wine
that I bought on the way back, though Kimberley cool, is still appreciated.
Another busy day calls for a good night’s rest.

Saturday July 6

We have arranged to meet Jeremiah, my nephew, at Matso’s for breakfast
at 9.00 am so we rise early and pack. We get to Matso’s just before 9.00 and
take a table on the side verandah. The view is of the aqua blue water of
Roebuck Bay and I sit and drink it in along with a freshly squeezed glass of
orange juice. After a few minutes I call Jeremiah on the mobile and tell him
where we are and that we’ll go ahead and order breakfast. We order Eggs
Florentine and it is delicious. Jeremiah doesn’t turn up. He did say that he
was going to a party on Friday night so that probably accounts for his no show.

Matso's Store

We go in search of a refrigeration expert in the industrial section of
town to get some advice on our Engel but no one is at the place of business. I
drive on out to the Port to take some photos and then we drive to Cable Beach
for Lexie to have a look. We also check out the cable Beach Resort to get
details on the off season charges. It would be nice to take a green season
package to Broome some time, particularly as I want to do a drawing at Gantheaum
Point. That done we fuel up on the way out and are soon headed for Derby some
200 Km north. We change drivers half way and I get some cream anthill photos.
At Wilare Roadhouse on the Fitzroy River I get out and leave some of my
merchandise to be passed on to the manager.

Wilare Bridge

We ring ahead and book a powered camping site at the Kimberley Entrance
Caravan Park which is sited opposite the marsh. It’s a good location so we get
the gear out and set the tent up. After lunch Lexie rings the Horizontal Falls
Seaplane Adventures tour to see if there are any seats for tomorrow and what
the cost is. She is told that the tours are booked up for the next two and a
half weeks and cost $700 each. That rules us out on both counts. There is,
however, the opening of the Kimberley Art Prize 2013 tonight at 6.30 pm so that
is something we resolve to get to.

After showering and dressing for the art opening I go and stick our
dirty clothes in the coin operated washing machines. When done I hang the
clothes over the washing line, sans pegs, as we also forgot to pack pegs. It’s
a still night so I see no problem. We walk across to the Civic Centre where the
Kimberley Art Prize exhibition is and join the crowd looking at the artworks. It is
good show with lots of variety including a good number of Aboriginal artworks.
While looking around we catch up Mary and Mark Norval, both local artists, and
arrange to go and visit their gallery tomorrow. We also bump into Denis Jokovich,
a teacher at the state high school, who reminds me that he bought one of my CDs
a long while ago. It’s nice to talk to him and he recounts how much he likes
living in Derby, which is great. We stand and listen to the MC read out all the
prize winners. The prizes are substantial and donated by local and international
business associated with the area. The Overall Winner Prize goes to an
Aboriginal woman, Jean Rangi, from Fitzroy Crossing titled, “This the Desert”.
The prize is worth $10,000.00 and is an acquisitive prize donated by the Shire
of Derby West Kimberley. The woman isn’t there to collect the prize and it is
likely to be controversial. The judges are Lee Kinsella from the Lawrence
Wilson Art Gallery at UWA and the local state school art teacher, Joel Wilson. I
imagine there will be some comment in the local paper. It’s a good work but
there are lots of other equally good works in the show. That’s the nature of
judging. I would have picked the Benjamin Loaring painting, “Entrance
Point-Broken Shells”. I didn’t go much on his description of the work but I
liked what he did. One of the Aboriginal youth awards winners turns up in her
basketball uniform having just come from a basketball competition which is in
full swing down the road.

Outside an Aboriginal man approaches us and asks if we would like to buy
one of his carved boab nuts. We quietly decline his offer as we already have a
number of carved boab nuts at home but I like his entrepreneurial approach. We
ask a lady seated on the steps if she is local and can tell us where the
Windmill Café is. She’s from Broome and introduces us to a local called Mark.
It turns out the he has a café called the Jila Gallery Café and we follow him
across to his cafe. It’s a combined gallery and café, as the name implies, and
the food is great. We have lucked in. It also turns out that Mark is an artist
and the art crowd from the exhibition opening are there. We enjoy our meal
and as we leave the restaurant the same Aboriginal man approaches us with his
carved boab nuts and again we decline his offer. It is a short walk back to our
tent.

Sunday 7 July

Derby Jetty

We begin the day with a drive out to the Derby Jetty. The tide is out
and the high posts that hold up the jetty are exposed. I take a few photographs
to add to my collection of Derby Jetty photographs then we walk around the
jetty. I stop to point out the inlet where the Orlader Lugger was brought in to
tie up. There are a few derelict posts sticking out of the mud that held up the
landing where we would embark on to the boat for the trips out to Sunday Island
when we were kids. There was a mission at Sunday Island and, as my father was
the Superintendent of the United Aborigines Mission at the time, it was part of
his work to visit the mission and sometimes the whole family would go. I
remember these as fascinating times. Lenny Lenard, an Aboriginal man from
Sunday Island, was the captain of the Orlader. My strongest memories of Sunday
Island are of the aqua blue water and the green mangroves at the Sunday Island
jetty.

Warfingher House

I drive to the Derby Visitor Centre where I drop off some of my
merchandise for the manager, Jenny Kloss, to look at when she comes in to work
next day. We also ask questions about the Gibb River Road where we are headed
next and then ask how to see inside Wharfinger House, a museum on the way to
the jetty. We are given a key and spend a while looking at the various
photographs and collections of memorabilia about Derby’s past. There is a
painting of Sammy Lovell which takes my eye. He was a lovely Aboriginal man who
was the first to run outback tours out of Derby. There is also a telephone
exchange that was used to connect callers around the Kimberley to each other.

We return the key and drive back to camp to get our clothes off the
line. Our next stop is Mark and Mary Norval’s Gallery on the way out of town.
Mary graciously brings me a cup of coffee and we sit and talk to them and
Mark’s offsider, Denis, while they are having a break from printing Mark’s
etchings. Other folks start to arrive and Mary is kept busy bringing them
coffees and answering questions. We take time to look around the gallery which
is mostly filled with Mark’s paintings and prints but also a good number of
Aboriginal works by artists Mark has worked extensively with. Mark and Mary are
something of an institution In Derby and the display contains works from many
years practice. It is fascinating to see such an extensive body of work. I pick
out a small, delicate painting by Mark of Camden Sound and ask the price which
he says is $100.00. It is an exquisite work and we agree to buy it so Mary
wraps it up for us and I put it in the car. Before leaving we go and check out
Mark and Denis in the print room where they are rubbing ink into metal plates.
They remind me of the time when they we were both students of mine at Secondary
Teacher’s College when Mark gave Denis a hand to complete his ceramics
portfolio. They’re still helping each other out. Some things never change.

Mowanjum Arts Centre

Our next stop is the Mowanjum Art Gallery located on the outskirts of Mowanjum
Aboriginal Community about 10 kilometres out of town. This is a large, purpose
built structure designed to look like a Wandjina spirit figure from above.
Wandjinas feature predominately in the paintings on display and the 10 minute
video that we sit and view in the spacious viewing area. There is a
merchandising section that includes Wandjina T Shirts and books associated with
the area. It is a thoroughly entertaining experience but I think the paintings
are way too expensive and I wonder how many of them sell on a regular basis.
European Australian artists would struggle to get these prices and that is who
the competition is.

Derby boab tree & Joel

We then drive back down the Gibb River Road and turn left instead of
right at the Derby road in order to go and see the Boab Prison Tree. This is a
hollowed out Boab tree with a split that a man can get in though which was
purportedly used as a holding pen for Aboriginal prisoners being brought in to
Derby in days gone by. I have been selling a postcard of this tree for many years
so I am interested to see how it has fared. When we get there we find that a
pine log fence has been erected around the tree so that visitors can’t get in
to it. My postcard shows a pine log fence leading you in to the Boab Tree’s
entrance so it has now become historic. I take a photograph for documentary
purposes and also take photographs of the nearby Miles Bore windmill and long
cement trough where drovers used to water their cattle when bringing them in to
Derby for transport from the Derby Jetty. Another relic from a bygone time.

Miles Bore Trough

On the way back we stop and view another relic. This one is sadder. It
is the derelict house of Doctor Holman which was moved out of town from near
the hospital. Why it was moved out here I don’t know as it has now deteriorated
into a decaying old building that was built in that distinctive Derby style of
wide verandahs and shutters. It has particular poignancy for me as Doctor
Holman was the doctor who delivered me when I was born in Derby Hospital on
September 7 1952.

R Holman's house

Back in town we visit the new Basketball courts where a basketball
competition has been running for the last day or so. This competition is part
of the Derby Boab Festival, which happens to have started as we arrived in town.
The teams have all come in from communities around the West Kimberley and there
aren’t any European faces in the teams or amongst the spectators as far as I
can see. Basketball has always been very big in Derby and this is strictly an
Aboriginal affair. I wander in with my camera and take some photos of the
players. The mood of the event is upbeat and everyone seems to be having a good
time. I guess this event isn’t for the tourists but, if they did go, I’m sure
they would find it interesting.

Derby basketball competition

We go back to camp and have a late lunch. Later on in the afternoon we
venture out again for another trip to the Derby Jetty to view the sunset. There
are a heck of a lot of cars and four wheels drives out there so we have
difficulty finding a parking spot. We make our way to the jetty and I manage to
take what I think will be some good photographs of the sun setting behind the
jetty. It is a pleasant evening and we join the crowd watching the last
vestiges of sunlight disappear over the muddy waters.

Derby Jetty at sunset

After parking back at camp we walk around to the new Spinifex Hotel for
dinner. The old corrugated hotel that had been there for at least a hundred
years has been bulldozed and it has been replace with a gleaming new building
made out of grey corrugated iron. The old Spinifex Hotel is where Ian Idriess
spent a summer collecting stories which became his fascinating account of
frontier life, titled One Wet Season. The new building houses a TAB, a
television viewing room where the footy is showing, a bar, a restaurant and an
outdoor area with tables. Our meal is seafood and towards the end of it we are
joined by Lee Kinsella and we talk about the previous night’s art exhibition
where she says that she saw us but missed catching up. We last met her at the
2013 Churchlands Senior High School art exhibition which she opened and where I
was the feature artist. We discuss the perils of judging art. She says that
some have already indicated disapproval of the judging decisions that were made
but that as a judge you have to make a decision and then stick with it, which
is fair enough. We all agree that the standard of work was high and it was a
good show. Lee is staying at the Spinny and goes to join some friends for
dinner. We make our way back to our tent and take it easy for the rest of the
night.

Monday 8 July

Our first task today after packing is to get the Engel sorted out. It
seems it isn’t working when plugged into the cigarette lighter connection in
the car. The three point power connection works. After talking to a helpful man
at an electrical goods shop we discover that the fuse on the Engel has blown
and we purchase new fuses from an auto electrician. That solves the Engel problem but the
additional Engel battery has stopped charging making it useless when we go to a
non- powered site. This is a worry, but there’s nothing we can do about it so after
speaking to Stella at the Visitor Centre about my The Kimberley Series book, the
newsagent about my postcards and the local record shop proprietor about my CDs we
fuel up and head out of town. On the way out we stop at the local Aboriginal
Radio station, 6DBY, and I introduce myself. We arrange for a radio telephone
interview for the following Monday when we should be in Halls Creek.

Queen Victoria's Head

Our destination is Silent Grove where there is a Department of
Environment and Conservation camping spot that gives easy access to Bells
Gorge. The turn off is 200 kilometres out of Derby on the Gibb River road and
then there is a drive in of 20 kilometres. There is bitumen for the first 100
km with intermittent sections of gravel, then it's gravel all the way from
there. After the Windjina Gorge turnoff we stop to take a photo of what the roadside
sign says is Queen Victoria’s head. This is a cliff feature where the road
passes through theNapier Range that has a striking
resemblance to a human profile. Why it should be Queen Victoria’s profile I am
at a loss to know. We stop at the Lennard River crossing for lunch and sit by
the river. It’s a pleasant stop. Further along we make further stops for
photographs as we drive through the King Leopold Ranges. There is a sign
indicating the turn off to the Lennard River Gorge but we figure it will have
to wait for another trip as we need get to our camp in time to set up before
night falls. The road runs through valleys with red rock walls on either side
and pandanus palms start appearing. It is a pretty drive. We stop for a break
at March Fly Creek where some people have set up camp. Don’t they know about
march flies?

King Leopold Range

We take the turn to Silent Grove and although the track is bumpy we make
it in good time. We pay our entrance fee to the volunteer couple who are
running the place and find a spot under a tree to pitch our tent. The place is
crowded and more people arrive as we set up. Darkness falls by 6.00 pm as we
eat dinner with not much option but to clean up and go to bed as the insects
are out and crowd the light that we have.

Silent Grove campsite

Tuesday 9 July

Bell Gorge is our destination and one of the main reasons for coming on
this trip. I have never been to Bell Gorge but have heard lots of good reports
about it. Before leaving for the gorge the volunteer manager brings me my
camera battery and charger, which he has been kindly charging all night for me.
We ask where the old Silent Grove homestead was located but he isn’t sure
except that it was somewhere nearby but was pulled down in the 1970s. I’m
interested to know as my father told us about the couple who lived there in the
early 1960s when he visited as part of his travelling padre role with the
U.A.M. According to him things were fairly primitive then. For example they
didn’t have a shower room but simply washed in the nearby creek each night so Dad
had to do the same.

Bell Gorge upper river

The 10 kilometre drive into Bells Gorge is stony but safe if you drive
slowly. At the carpark area number of four wheel drive vehicles, some with
caravans. We shoulder our cameras and water bottles and take the 1 Kilometre
walk into the gorge across boulders and along the side of a creek. Pandanus
palms line the side of the creek and as we emerge into the main part of the
gorge we view of a wide body of water that is flowing over a rocky ledge to the
left. We follow the path right around the large pool and climb over the top of
the gorge where we are treated to the stunning view of the water flowing over
smooth rocks and cascading down into a deep pool below. People are swimming in
the pool and we figure we should be doing the same. It is a steep climb down to
the large pool below where the river flows on through the gorge. I endeavor to
take some photo while trying to exclude people from the shot. Hopefully there
will be some good shots there.

Bell Gorge Falls

Lexie has already jumped into the water fully clothed and I take of my
shirt and sneakers and do the same. The water is cold to begin with but very
refreshing. We swim over to where the water is tumbling down and feel it fall
on our heads. The water is great and we spend a good amount of time swimming
around the pool. Eventually we get out and after drying off make the long climb
back up around the top of the gorge.

Bell Gorge Falls

I want to do some drawing so I take the cameras back to the car and
collect our drawing gear and lunch and return to the gorge. We eat lunch
enjoying the view across the top pool. I then select a spot to draw from
looking across the top pool with the water falling to my left. It takes me
about two hours to draft in the view by which time I am fairly whacked. In the
meantime Lexie has been doing some drawing of her own from the top of the gorge
looking into the main pool. After
resting awhile we pack and take the long walk back up to the carpark passing
many people making their way down to the gorge in the late afternoon. I wonder
do they know how long it takes to get to the main pool.

Back at camp we both avail ourselves of the solar powered showers that have
been put there by the Department of Environment and Conservation. The men’s
showers are still warm but unluckily not so for Lexie. Seems a lot more ladies
are using the showers than the men. We get dinner cooked but eat it in the
fading dark to avoid having flying insects join us for dinner. It is the end of
a very active day and we retire to our tent.

Silent Grove Pool

Wednesday 10 July

Before leaving Silent Grove we pack and then go looking for the pool
that Dad mentioned. We follow a track at the end of the campground that runs
along the side of the creek and into a small gorge. Part way along the track we
find a small pool with water running over a rock into it. We figure that this
must have been the pool that Dad bathed in all those years ago.

Gibb River Road

Soon we are back on the Gibb River Road as it winds its way along the
side of the King Leopold Ranges until we reach the Imintji Roadhouse and Store
which services the nearby Imintji Aboriginal Community as well as tourists.
This shop sells my postcards but I stop anyway to leave some of my merchandise.
There are queue of people waiting to be served so I drop my gear off at the
counter and we head off.

As we drive through open savanna country we come to the Adcock Gorge
turnoff and take the track in. We come to a fork in the road with stones across
it and figure we shouldn’t go any further and turn around. The tour guide says
that we should contact the Mt House Station if we want to visit this gorge so
we leave it to another time.

Galvans Gorge

The next stop is Galvan’s Gorge, which is a much better prospect. We park
in the designated parking lot by the side of the road and walk the 1 kilometre
in following a track that winds its way along the creek that leads to the
gorge. There are some folk already there swimming in the pool at the bottom of
the waterfall. It is a beautiful pool of water with orange white cliff walls
surrounding it and pandanus palms around the edge of the water. At the top of
the waterfall is a boab tree, which looks like it is standing guard over the
scene. We both jump into the water, me in my jocks, and swim to the waterfall.
The water is cool but refreshing. When the swimmers get out of the pool I swim
back and take some photographs of the gorge minus people, then get back in the
water for another swim. We have to get going so reluctantly clamber out of the
pool and walk back to the car, drying out as we go.

Barnett River Roadhouse

We stop for lunch at Barnett River Roadhouse and fuel up. I leave some
sample postcards with the manager and we're soon on our way. Further along we
come to the turn off to Barnett River Gorge where the sign says 3 kilometres.
The track is rough and Lexie finds it difficult. We decide to turn around and I
take over driving again. It will have to wait for another time. Eventually we
get to the Kalumburu turnoff and head north. Our destination is Drysdale River
Station where we plan to camp for two nights. We stop for a photo at the Gibb
River crossing and then drive the 60 kilometres along a well graded road to the
station. My plan is to spend the next day driving up to Mitchell Falls for the
day but the man at the shop tells us that it is 4 hour drive there and a 4 hour
drive back, after the 2 hour walk in to the gorge. We do have the option of
catching a helicopter ride back from the gorge to the car park. His suggestion
is that we take the fixed wing flight that goes from Drysdale River Station to
Mitchell Falls and then around the Prince Regent and Mount Trafalgar area. He
says that the Mitchel Falls drive is something you shouldn’t do in a day but
rather camp there and do it properly. I have driven in to the Mitchell Falls
carpark before so I know how rough the road can be. We only got to the Merten
Falls on that trip so I am keen to get in to the main falls this time. Lexie
favors the fixed wing flight.

Gibb River Crossing

We set up camp and while Lexie is cooking I go to the bar and buy some
beers. The shop is closed so I go back to the bar and meet the chef who is
dressed smartly in cowboy clothes and I ask his advice. He says that the trip
to Mitchell Falls shouldn’t be attempted in one day and calls the barmaid over
to enquire about seats on the fixed wing flight for the next day. There are two
seats available so I book them. The flight leaves at 10.00 am and she says to
check in at the shop before 9.00 am. That settled I go back and tell Lexie the
good news. The drive to the Mitchell Falls will have to wait until another
trip.

Thursday 11 July

Drysdale River Station

Having made the decision to take the Drysdale River Station Air Safari
we pay our fee of $399.00 per person and get out to the station airstrip by
9.40 pm where I show Lexie how to use the video camera. The pilot arrives
followed by the other two couples who are joining us on the flight. After Tom,
the pilot, gives us the lowdown on flying with Slingair, we board the flight in
a process that is based on weight. I get the back two seats which is great as I
will be able to shoot out both sides with my camera. I fit my 55 to 210 zoom
lens as we taxi down the gravel runway. We are soon in the air with the station
disappearing below us.

Mt Hann

We head due west and pass the first major landmark of Mt Hann. Soon we
are flying over the Prince Regent River looking down on rugged hills and
tributaries flowing into the river. We pass over King Cascades and the pilot
circles so that we can get good photos. The cascades are where a major
waterfall drops into a pool below that then flows into the Prince Regent River.
The pilot recounts the tragic story of how Ginger Meadows was taken by a
crocodile and we see the ledge that she could have got to safely if she hadn’t
panicked. We cross the St George Basin
and then fly around Mt Waterloo and Mt Trafalgar, both obviously named after
famous British battles with the French. All the while I am taking lots of
photographs and it will be interesting how many of them turn out level.

Kings Cascades, Prince Regent River

Prince Frederick Harbour

We next fly north-east across the Prince Frederick Harbor, with islands
popping out and grey mudflats and mangroves along the edges. The pilot circles
around the Hunter River and the Donkin Hills Falls, reportedly the highest
falls in the North West, and we take more photos. Continuing our north-east
flight we come to the Mitchell River and follow it to the spectacular Merten
and Mitchell Falls. By circling the falls a few times we are able to get the
photos we want and see the location of the camping area in relation to the
falls. I did previously get to the parking area on a run through to Kalumburu
in the mid 1980s but the other advisory teacher and I were only able to walk
to the Little Merten Falls. From there the track petered out and we were
concerned about getting lost so we turned back and continued on our way to
Kalumburu. There were no guide books then on where to go. The next time we
attempt to get to Mitchel falls we’ll allow a day to get there and camp, a full
day to walk into the falls, and another day to drive back out.

Mitchell Falls

The flight back is uneventful as we fly south east the vast flat terrain
that makes up the cattle country of Drysdale River Station. The flight has
taken around 2 hours and has been quite draining so we thank the pilot and head
back to camp for lunch and a rest.

Miners Pool

Later in the afternoon we drive the 5 kilometres to Miners Pool, a body
of water on the Drysdale River. There is camping allowed here for a reduced fee
but the only facilities offered are pit toilets. However, a hardy number of
campers have set up camp. We take a track down to the water’s edge where there
is a large pool of clear water lined with Pandanus Palms. The water is so
inviting that I go back to the car, put my swimming togs on and go swimming.
Lexie sits by the side of the pool and waits.

The track back is corrugated to the main road, which thankfully has been
recently graded. Back at camp we cook and eat dinner and then walk to the
outdoor bar for a quiet ale. The night is pleasant. It is the sort of winter
temperature that we like. By 8.00 pm we’re asleep.

Friday 12 July

Cockburn Ranges

Today sees us on the final leg of the Gibb River Road run. The road is
rough and corrugated and we are tired of being bounced around. It’s 60
kilometres back to Gibb River Road and then we turn left. The first place of
interest is Ellenbrae homestead, which has tourist accommodation. A sign at the
turnoff indicates that they offer fresh scones and teas as well but we are not
tempted and keep driving. The Durack River which can be raging torrent in the
wet season has only pools either side of the crossing. We come to a lookout
that faces the Cockburn Range and we stop to take photos. We also get a mobile
phone call from my brother John to say that Dad has been taken to hospital as a
result of a fall but is OK. I send him a
“selfie” message of thanks with the Cockburn range in the background for
keeping us informed.

The Home Valley Station turnoff comes up and we take the 2 kilometre
drive in. We buy drinks and iceceam and eat lunch in the pleasant gardens
outside the bar and restaurant. There is a stage and PA gear setup ina corner
of the outdoor bar so I leave a copy of my new CD and associated material and
say that we plan to come back again next year and I would be up for a gig if
they were interested. The girl at the counter sounds interested and indicates
that she will pass the material on to the bar manager. It would be a nice place
to perform. The main service area is surrounded by palms and lawn, there is a
swimming pool and the camping area is grassed and looks good. It will be a
pleasant place to camp should we make the trip again.

Pentecost River Crossing

Back on the road again and we come to the Pentecost River crossing, which
is stony, but only has a minimum amount of water to drive through. I take the
crossing photo that has been taken countless time before and we drive on to a
spot that has a great view of the Cockburn Range glowing in the afternoon sun.
This calls for more photos of course. As we drive on we come to a large road
crew who are working on upgrading the road. By the time we get to the El
Questro turnoff the bitumen begins and continues all the way to the Wyndham/
Kununurra Road.

Road to Wyndham

We decide to drive in to Wyndham to see what if anything has changed
since we were last there over 20 years ago. The main part of town, known as the
three mile, looks pleasant enough but a number of the shops are closed and
derelict. There are a number of Aboriginal people who seem to be just hanging
around. One Aboriginal man walks off from Vaggs Liquor store with a slab of
beer on his shoulder and, it appears, willing friends to accompany him. We
drive on to the port where I take a photo of the Bastion with the afternoon sun
lighting up the west side. At the port we stop again and I take a photo of the
jetty. A woman pulls up in a four wheel drive and tells us we are trespassing
and liable for a $2,000 fine so we quickly leave the scene of the crime. We
stop to buy drinks at an old corrugated iron shop which advertises postcards
and art. I show the lady my postcards of Wyndham but she declines them because
they can’t fit in her postcard rack. A number of the old shops in this part of
town are closed and the place looks like some old wild west town gone to seed.
Back at the three mile things don’t look much better. To top it off big Hapmton
Mining Trucks with three dogs each rumble through town on the way to the port to offload their cargo of ore. It
almost seems like a Mad Max movie set. I manage to leave some postcard samples
at a couple of shops and then we drive out on the Great Northern Highway.
Wyndham is definitely the end of the road.

Wyndham Mudflats

The drive to Kununurra is picturesque and I’d like to stop to take
photos but we are running out of time. As we approach Kununurra we see what
features along the road we can remember and, as we drive over the Diversion Dam
Bridge, it is a bit like coming home. We find the turnoff to the Discovery
Caravan Park (known by us as Kona Caravan Park) and drive up to the gate. We
can’t get in as we have arrived after the 5.00 pm closing time so I wander
around until I find the grounds man who gets our keys from a letter box outside
the office and shows us to our camping spot. It is great site that looks on to
Lake Kununurra. After setting up our tent in the dark, we shower and then drive
in to town to find somewhere to eat. The place has grown of course but we find
our way to the Kununurra Hotel and have a tasty vegetarian meal in what was
known to us as the Cama Pesci Bar. It will be interesting tomorrow to see how
much the town has changed.

Saturday 13 July

This is the day where we catch up on our memories. Lexie was in
Kununurra for 10 years and I was here for 9 years so there is a lot of catching
up to do. Firstly we drive down river from our campsite to The Pumphouse Restaurant
where a sophisticated restaurant has been set up at the pumphouse that pumps
water up the irrigation channel. Lexie has a cold drink and I have a coffee and
we’re ready to face the day.

Water skiing, Lake Argyle

Our first stop is the Kununurra Visitors Centre where I have chat with
Cam Smithers, the Purchasing Officer, who agrees to take some of my The
Kimberley Series books for their shop. I also leave sample postcards, which I
hope he will order. We load up with brochures for the myriad activities that
are available to us and then go for walk around town. We drop in at the
Kimberley Fine Diamonds shop and have a chat with Frauke Bolton Boshamer the owner. The display is sophisticated and includes diamond jewellery, of
course, fine art and high end kitchen ware. It's nice to see Frauke again and
we tell her how the rest of our family are going.

We walk on to the building with the big sign that says Aboriginal Art.
This building was the Regional Office where Lexie and I worked as Advisory
teachers in the mid 1980s. We go inside and wander around looking at the wide
range of Aboriginal art on display. Aside from some local works there are
paintings in regional groups including Tiwi Island works, Arnhem Land works,
Central Australian works and Warmun Community works. All are of a high
standard. We meet the proprietor, Kirstie Linklater who tells us something
of how she came to be running the art gallery. She says that they come from
Melbourne and her mother, who is now deceased, started the gallery. It is a
family affair and she has now been running it for seven years. It is a passion
for her and they run it in a businesslike manner. I give her some background
information on my involvement with Waringarri Aboriginal Arts and we talk for
some time. She has work to do so before leaving I mention my The Kimberley
Series book and the reference I make to the Warmun artists in the book. The
outcome is that she places an order for 20 books which is great.

Waringarri Aboriginal arts

Our next major stop is the Waringarri Aboriginal Art Centre. I was
involved in setting up this art centre in the 1980s and spent six years of my
life on the project. It has increased in size and sophistication since then. I ask Lexie to take a photo of me outside the gallery for old
times’ sake. The building that we built in the 1980s is still the gallery and
office, though enlarged and redesigned. There is also the workshop that we
built, which is now the kitchen. There is a new two-story building that houses
the art workshop on the ground floor and an interpretative gallery on the top
floor with paintings that are part of their permanent collection. We are shown
over this building by Kathy Cummins, the current Manager of the art centre. She
tells us that there are seven Aboriginal people employed by the art centre and
two of the men make the pine stretchers and stretch the canvases as well as
packing the paintings. I consider this a major achievement and am proud to have
been associated with this project. Kathy has been the manager for quite a
number of years and has done a magnificent job of taking the art centre to the
successful stage that it is now. One of the things that we have noted on
this trip has been the absence of Aboriginal people involved in the tourism and
hospitality industry so it is great to see Waringarri bucking the trend.

We leave the art centre just before 2.00 pm and drive out to the Hoochery
distillery to have lunch and a drink of Spike Desert’s rum. The restaurant
building is a large corrugated iron structure which has a distinctive outback
flavor to the style and decoration of the place. We are in time to order
Barramundi and chips, which we wash down with rum, ice and soda water; a very
refreshing drink. I’d recommend the Hoochery to anyone. It’s a drive out of
town along Weber Plains Road, past Jim OKenny’s place, but well worth the
effort.

Kununurra from Kellys Knob

We want to check out the Zebra Rock Galley out on Packsaddle Road and
stop to bring our clothes in off the line on the way. The gallery has been
bought from the original people who set it up, the Hackett’s, and is now run by
an English couple. They have come up with a multitude of ways to make jewellery
and nick-nacks from Zebra rock, which is fair enough. The works are beautifully
presented in a small neat gallery. Why they need a Zebra as their logo I don’t
know. The gallery and house is located on the banks of the Ord River and the
view across to Elephant Rock is splendid.

Although it isn’t 5.00 pm yet, the light is fading as we drive out along
River Farm Road to see if we can find Dan Read’s farm. Eventually we find it
and motor up the drive, past the other Zebra Rock Gallery and the mango
plantation to his place up the back. Euros (a kind of wallaroo, which is a kind of kangaroo) jump out in front of us and I have
to be careful not to hit them. I wander around the workshop but no one is home.
As we are about to leave, John and Nancy, Dan’s parents arrive. We weren’t
expecting them but we should have known as they had told us that they were
driving up north to attend the 30th anniversary celebration of the
start of the school at Yilili Aboriginal Community, located between Fitzroy
Crossing and Halls Creek. Dan turns up soon after and Nancy makes a cup of tea
for us all. It is good to chat and catch up on the latest news from around
Kununurra.

On the way back into town we stop of at the Asian Cuisine Restaurant,
next to the Visitor Centre, that Dan has recommended to us and enjoy an
excellent vegetarian meal. The place is run by Chinese people who are friendly
and take the time too chat. One of the waitresses tells us that she is from Taiwan
and is on a two year working Visa. She seems to like what she is doing. It’s
been a very social day so we head back to camp. There are fireworks going on at
the Agricultural Show being held on the town oval but we leave it for another
time.

Sunday 14 July

Diversion Dam Crossing

Today begins the journey back south. We’re only going as far as Halls
Creek but I do want to catch up with a special friend at Warmun Community,
Rusty Peters. He was the man I employed to stretch up and pack the canvases at
the Waringarri Arts Centre. He has since become a well recognized artist in his
own right. Before leaving we go have a look at the Leisure Centre as I am
interested in getting a quote on hiring the venue for a concert performance.
The officer in charge, Frederike, a newly arrived Frenchman, kindly opens up
and shows us around. The multi-function area has now become a gym, the café has
gone but other than that nothing much has changed since we used it for exhibitions
and concerts in the 1980s. On the way out of town we have a closer look at the
Artopia Gallery which unfortunately is closed on a Sunday. It’s an excellent building
and just the sort of place that I’d like to have as a gallery. Of such are
dreams made.

The drive through the Carr Boyd Ranges is magnificent with red rock
walls on either side of the road. We pass further mountain ranges in what is a
visually interesting drive. We stop at Doon Doon Roadhouse and buy some drinks.
The roadhouse is the main store for the Doon Doon Aboriginal Community and is a
well designed, airy building that has an extensive range of consumer goods,
souvenirs and books, so I leave copies of my postcards and order forms for the
manager to look at later on. The Turkey Creek Roadhouse at Warmun is much older
and hasn’t had the benefit of being architecturally designed. It was built in
the late 1970s by the Wainright family and grew like the house that Jack
built. The workers inside are going flat out keeping up with demand, but the
manager graciously takes my sample postcards and says that he will have a look
at them in the evening. I buy a drink and we sit and eat lunch at a park bench.
A couple of young hitchhikers are sitting in the sun trying to flag a ride.
They don’t have hats. One of them comes over to the bin to look for food. A bit
of a worry. On the way out we give them an apple each but have no room to give
them a lift.

Warmun Art

We go to have a look at the Warmun Aboriginal Art Gallery but it is
closed on weekends. It is a large well designed building clad in red corrugated
iron. Hopefully we’ll pass again during the week. We go in search of Rusty
Peters and find him sitting on the verandah of a friend’s house. We walk up to
him and he says 'Joel,' which is nice. It is good to sit and talk with him for a
while. I get Lexie to take a photo of us sitting on the verandah. I am pleased
that we got to meet.

Rusty Peters, Joel Smoker and friend, Warmun Community

Back on the road and I stop to take some photos of the red anthills and
gum trees. There are photos all the way along but we don’t have time to stop
any more. Finally at Halls Creek we drive around town and book in at the Halls
Creek Hotel. The main building is larger than we remember but the room that we
get hasn’t changed. We are appreciative of a bed and bathroom.

Old Town, Halls Creek

We drive out to the old town site of Halls Creek, some 20 kilometres
east of the current town. The creek is dry except for a small stagnant pond.
The old antbed post office now has a metal roof over it and it is fenced off.
There are some cairns around indicating where buildings were and up on a rise is a homestead and
caravan park with about five campers set up. Out the back is the old cemetery
with a stone fence around it. We stop and read the tombstones for a bit.

Caroline Pool

Heading back into town we turn left and drive down to Caroline Pool, a
spot that we used to visit often when we were kids. There are about seven
groups of campers set up in the river bed. I climb up around the side of the
pool and take photos as the sun lights up the rock walls above it.

Children's activities, People's Church

As we drive back into town I divert into the Garden area and find the
People Church and house where we used to live. There are a number of Aboriginal
people camped here. We want to catch up with Jonathon Bates, the mission worker
who lives there, so ask where he is. In the process we meet some women that I
know and they tell us that the annual Christian Convention is on, which
accounts for all the people. We find Jonathon and he invites us back to the
evening service. After showering and having dinner at the hotel we return and
join the people sitting around and outdoor meting area. A New Guinean pastor is
preaching and he covers topics as wide ranging as hell and heaven, gay marriage
and kangaroo marriage. After his long address various groups from communities
around the Kimberley get up and present musical items in a slow moving,
somewhat shambolic, but endearing fashion. I stand up to take a photo and Nita,
my foster sister, sees me and calls out my name. We move our chairs over to her
and she introduces us to people who I recognise but whose names I have
forgotten. It is great to catch up with
so many people from the past. I walk around the back of the makeshift stage and
catch up with two of the backing musicians that I know, Peter Brandy and Kevin
Gunn, which is nice. As the night wears on it gets cold and we decide to pack
up our chairs and leave. It takes a while to leave as I meet more people who
know me but eventually we say goodbye to Jonathon and drive back to our room
and bed. It’s been a big day.

Kimberley Christian Convention singers

Monday 15 July

Before leaving town there are a number of things to do. First up I have
a radio interview to do with Keith Hudson, the manager of the Derby
Aboriginal Radio station, which I do on my mobile phone, sitting outside our
hotel room. Then we visit the local Aboriginal radio station and get to meet
Daniel, a tall African man who is the manager of the station. He is a gentle man
and indicates that he can arrange a radio interview about my new CD for
tomorrow at 9.25 am. I agree to phone them at this time from Fitzroy Crossing.
The next stop is Taylors Store where I would like to sell my CDs. The shop has
changed hands since I sold my cassettes there and the current owner is Stephen
Barnes. Stephen mentions that he saw us at the meeting last night and fills me
in on a lot of stuff about Halls Creek. We talk for a while and then I go and
let Lexie know what’s happening. She wants to buy some skirts so she comes in
and becomes a part of the continuing conversation. Stephen agrees to purchase
some of my CDs and writes out a cheque for them. He isn’t interested in waiting
for an invoice. Stephen gives me some of his business cards and I agree to
follow up with a journalist at the West Australian on the things he has been
telling us about Halls Creek. It’s been an exhausting discussion and we have to
get going.

We join the queue at the Shell Service Station waiting to fill up with
unleaded fuel. It isn’t available anywhere else at present. After fueling up we
drive over to the Halls Creek Visitor Centre and have a chat with Chris
Tennant, the Manager, who has been kindly purchasing some of my products for a
while. I show him a sample of my drawing reproductions and he indicates that he
will want to purchase some of the Kimberley drawings which is great. His advice
is to concentrate on producing drawings and suggests I do a drawing of China
Wall. To that end we drive the couple of kilometres out of town to the China
Wall, a wall of white basalt rock, and I take some photographs which may become
the basis of a drawing. I generally do the sketches out on location and then
work from photographs at home, but today there isn’t the time to do a sketch.
We do have to get to Fitzroy Crossing by the end of the day.

Eventually we get out on the road and about 40 kilometres out
of town we get a call from Siena Buckle at the Derby radio station saying she
is still keen to do the interview that she had arranged. We pull over to the
side of the road and, after waiting for her to finish a segment, we conduct the
interview by mobile phone. She plays two of the songs from my new CD whilst I remain
connected and then interviews me about them. The call is bound to be very
expensive, but, as the program goes nationwide to Aboriginal radio stations,
I figure it’s worth the cost.

Mary River Crossing

Back on the road again and we get to the Mary River crossing for lunch.
We count around 30 caravans with cars parked on the banks of the river. The Department of Environment and Conservation or
the Shire have provided bins, flushing toilets but no showers. However, this
hasn’t seemed to diminish the demand. The number of caravaners visiting this
part of the country is enormous.

Joel with Norman Cox

Over half way to Fitzroy Crossing we take the right turn to Yiyili
Community in order to visit the art gallery that was signposted on the road. It
is only 5 kilometres in so won’t take too long. We find the art gallery but no
one is in attendance. We look in the windows and recognise some of Norman Cox’s
work. I acted as an agent for Norman for half a dozen years so it is good to
see that he is still working. We want to catch up with him so I stop at a
house and ask his whereabouts. A European women in her sixties gives me
directions to Norman’s house. Her name is Margaret and she and her husband work
for the community. She says she is currently working on an art project with the
women. We find our way to Norman’s house and find him sitting out the front
with his daughter, Marjorie, and Marjorie’s daughter Lisa. They are pleased to
see us and we talk about what they have been doing with their art. I show them
a copy of my Way Out West book of drawings and they slowly look through the
book. Lisa reminds us of the weekend visit that she had with us when she was
down in Perth for high school. It is good to rekindle these memories. We do
have to get to our destination before nightfall so we say goodbye and drive
back to the highway.

Numbun Cliffs

At Numbun Cliffs we pull into a camp ground where new shelters and
toilets have been erected. There are a number of cars and caravans there and
they have a good view overlooking Numbun Cliffs. It is all very civilised. Back
on the road I find myself heading directly into the sun for the remainder
of the drive. We pull into the Kimberley Lodge camp grounds, just before the
Fitzroy River crossing, as the light fades. We have booked a dongar for $140 for the night and that is what we get. There are at least 30 dongars with
bedroom and shower/toilet facilities in a small dongar city around the side of
the campground. There are a range of accommodation options at the Lodge including
safari tents, unpowered camp sites, powered caravan sites and the luxury rooms
at the homestead. After showering we have dinner in the Lounge Bar. Afterwards
I phone Jeff Davies, a friend who lives here, to see if we can catch up. We
arrange a time for the tomorrow morning and then retire to our cramped dongar
luxury.

Tuesday 16 July

People's Church, Junjuwa, FX

Before leaving for Broome we decide to have a look around Fitzroy
Crossing to see what has changed. The main part of the town is now located
around the roadhouse and main highway. We take the drive out to the old mission
site where I spent the first six years of my life. The Superintendent’s house
(our house) is gone but the tank and cement base of the old store is still
there. So is what was the girl’s dormitory and the boy’s dormitory. We stop a
driver to ask where Jimmy Andrews might be. He introduces himself as Isaac Hale
and tells us where we might find him. On the way out we stop and talk to Joe
Ross and June Oscar who are both standing outside their office. Joe explains
some of the issues he is dealing with as one of the main spokesman for the Bunuba
people and we meet a lawyer from Darwin they have contracted. On the way back
in to town we stop at the Junjuwa Village and meet and talk with Nancy Brown
who I know from mission days.

Old Crossing, Fitzroy River

We take the Geikie Gorge Road and try to drive over the old crossing but
it is crowded with a number of big trucks for some reason. We drive back out
and take the road down to the Crossing Inn. The place has changed
significantly. It is still a hotel but it doesn’t have a multitude of cans
outside it like it used to. The grounds are clean and the garden is well kept.
I take a seat at one of the outside tables and phone the Halls Creek Radio
Station. Daniel tells me that the announcer who was going to interview me
hasn’t turned up so the interview will need to be postponed until he arrives.

We drive back past the Kimberley Lodge and take the road that follows
the river bank down to the old crossing and find Jeff Davies’ place. The house
is up on stilts to be out of flood reach and there are a number of trees and
banana plants around it offering shade. Jeff offers us a cup of tea and we meet
his partner Mammaji, their son and Mammaji’s father, Scotty. We enjoy talking
for half an hour or so and catch up on all the news at Fitzroy Crossing.

Mangkaja Art Gallery & Studio

After fuelling up, where we are served by Chinese people, and buying
lunch from the new shopping center, we stop in at Mungkatja Art Gallery.
Essentially the gallery is a workshop where people paint and paintings are
hanging on the walls of the studio. The building is air conditioned and three
European staff are in attendance. An Aboriginal woman is sitting on the floor
painting and I introduce myself. It turns out that she is one of Alec Roger’s
daughters and remembers me, which is nice. Outside one of Hughie and Jinny
Bent’s daughters introduces herself and we chat for a while. I acted as an
artist’s agent for Hughie and Jinny for ten years after going back to Perth in
1991. I curated a number of exhibitions of their work, the last being Hughie’s
show in Melbourne in 2010.

Our last stop is the tourist bureau. We are pleased to see that there is
an Aboriginal woman serving at the counter. I introduce myself as I purchase a
Fitzroy Crossing polo shirt and she says her name is Raelene Pindan and that
she is Jinny Pindan’s daughter. Her father was old Limmerick, a blind man who
worked closely with my father in the mission days. Raelene tells us that she
recently visited my father at the aged care facility where he lives and
although he didn’t recognise them because of his Alzheimer’s condition, he was
able to sing along with them when they sang the Walmatjari hymns to him. I ask
to speak to the manager and Raelene brings her out from a meeting to take my
merchandise samples.

Erskine Range

The visit done, we drive out on to the Great Northern Highway for our
trip to Broome. At the halfway spot where the road passes through the Erskine
Range we change drivers and then drive on to the Boabs near the Derby turnoff
where we stop for lunch. The drive into Broome is uneventful except for the two
waits where they are working on widening the road. We turn down the Cape
Leveque Road and then further on take the road into Coconut Wells where our accommodation
for the night, Coco Eco, is located. There are three units situated in a
beautiful garden and after unpacking we go down to the pool and sit with our
feet in the water while we look out on the aqua blue water of the sea in the
near distance.

EcoRetreat, Broome

I make mobile phone contact with my nephew, Jeremiah, and we arrange to
meet him for dinner in town. Jeremiah has selected Aarli Restaurant which, although crowded, is a nice choice as the food is really good. It’s great to
catch up with Jeremiah and hear how his job at the Kimberley Land Council is
going. Of the lawyers employed there he is the only indigenous lawyer. He finds
the work interesting and, at times, taxing.
We say goodnight to Jeremiah and drive back out the 20 kilometres to our
unit near the sea and go to bed with the sound of the waves in our ears.

Wednesday 17 July

We have to get to Port Hedland by 6.00 pm so we can’t spend too much
time leaving Broome, however there are some things I must do. The first is an interview with Vanessa Mills
at Broome ABC Radio, which goes well. Vanessa interviewed me in 1996 when I
released my Outback CD and she goes back over that before asking questions
about the new CD. She says she will put the interview to air on the following
Monday. I appreciate the opportunity she has given me to promote the new CD. In
the interview one of the songs I choose is Hannah and Daniel, a song about
Jeremiah’s sister and brother in law, which I dedicate to Jeremiah. I hope he
hears the interview.

Town Beach, Broome

We drive down to town beach to see how it may have changed. There are
pleasant garden areas, a café and a children’s playground but the beach is the
same as it has always been. The tide is out and people are walking out to
where the receding tide starts. I remember as a kid camping at Town beach with
my parents on a holiday that we took from Halls Creek in the early 1960s.
China Town was a proper Chinese town in those days. Now it is a conglomerate of
shops.

I stop off at the Visitor Centre and leave a sample postcard and
Postcard order form with the manager. She is receptive to my point that my postcards
which were produced in the 1980s showing images of Broome that you can’t get
now, such as luggers tied up to Streeter’s Jetty. I hope they place an order. I
then call in at Boab Souvenirs and the lady behind the counter recognises me.
She used to run Macs Art Shoppe, which has now closed, so is receptive to
purchasing my merchandise. I promise to send her a sample copy of my The Kimberley
Series book.

It is time to leave Broome, so we fuel up, purchase some lunch and head
out on the road. We are sad to be leaving the Kimberley but figure we’ll come
back again next year and allow more time to get to places we missed. The road
is pretty straight across flat desert country and we get to Sandfire Roadhouse
for lunch by 2.00 pm. Driving on we cross the De Grey River where a multitude
of car and caravans are camped. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we
saw 100 caravans there. The number of people making the trek north at this time
of the year is phenomenal.

Driving into the sun is a pain and as we get to Port Hedland we
encounter more roadworks which makes the going even harder. We manage to get to
the Cook Point Holiday Park by 5.30 pm and check in. We don’t have any fresh
vegetables left except for one lone capsicum so we go in search of dinner and
find a restaurant at the Ibis Hotel. We have to wait in queue for what seems
like half an hour before our order is taken and we can take our seats. The
Pilbara has a way to go to it can match the efficiency of the hospitality
industry in the Kimberley.

Thursday 18 July

Iron ore boats, Port Hedland

We have a long drive to Carnarvon today, close to 900 Kilometres, but I
want to check out the Port Hedland Visitor Centre before we leave. It has had a
makeover by Form since I was last there and I am interested to see what it
looks like. Before dropping in we stop at the park that looks over the port and
I take photos of the large ore ships that are in the harbor. I hope one of
these may become a postcard image that represents the town. The Visitor Centre
is indeed different. The décor is very smart and upmarket. There are no
souvenir T Shirts or standard souvenir products. Instead there are a lot of
books; in fact it is more of a bookshop than a visitor centre. There are
products for sale but again these are very different: things such as smart
scrubbing brushes, up market hats and metal Tonka toys of mining machinery and
bulldozers. You have to wonder what grey nomads would want with Tonka toys.
There is a new set of postcards of Port Hedland images which seem to have been
commissioned by the visitor centre. I show the woman behind the counter one of
my sample drawings and after this one of the visitors in the centre expresses a
strong interest in the drawing. It is of Chinderwariner Pool at Millstream and
she says that they visited the place on their trip. The manager is away on
leave so I leave some order forms and say I will make further contact when I
get home.

We stop by the IGA shopping centre on our way out and buy lunch and
drinks. I also get to speak to the proprietor of the record shop and he says he
will discuss purchasing my new CD with his wife. They have sold my CDs before
over the years. It is nice to make personal contact.

Whim Creek Hotel

We fuel up at the Caltex service Station and are on our way out of town.
The going is slow because of roadworks and a very long train of iron ore
trailers but eventually we are on the open road. We stop at the Whim Creek Pub
to change drivers but unfortunately it is closed and access to the building is
blocked by a mound of sand. This is a pity as the Whim Creek Pub was something
of an icon in these parts.

Roebourne Prison Visitor Centre

The next stop is Roebourne where I have a chat with the manager of the
Roebourne Visitor Centre and leave a sample of one of my drawings. They have
been selling my Way out West book so it is nice to make face to face contact. I
wander around the old Roebourne Goal which is where the visitor centre is
located and take photos from various angles. Maybe one of these shots will
become a postcard.

We call into the visitor centre at Karratha and I leave a copy of my Way
Out West book and sample drawing of Dampier for the manager to consider. He is
currently away from the centre. Karratha now has five story buildings and looks
like the on the go city that it is reported to be. We don’t have time to look
around and are soon on the open road. We stop at the Travel Stop about 10
Kilometres down the road and, whilst filling up, get a call from Scotty. He has
been looking after our house and mentions that it is very cold in Perth right
now.

Fortesque River Roadhouse

It’s a long run to Carnarvon but the road is fairly straight and the
landscape flat. Night falls at 6.00 pm and we still have two hours of driving
to go. There are cows and kangaroos on the side of the road so I have to drive
carefully to avoid knocking one of them over. It’s all a bit taxing and by the
time we get to Carnarvon my eyes feel like they’re popping out of my head. We
pull into the Big 4 Plantation Caravan Park where we have booked a chalet as a
replacement for a camping site and find we have two envelopes with keys, one
for the chalet and one for the tenting site, in the keys box. I knock on the
door of the manager and he says we can sort it out in the morning. We are
thankful of a good bed to sleep in and a kitchen in which to cook dinner.

Friday 19 July

After breakfast we pack and drop in to the park office to sort out the
bill. The woman behind the counter says that they will be charging us for both
sites, as she believes she wasn’t told that we wanted to exchange the chalet
for the camping site. Lexie disputes this assertion but all she will offer us
is a credit for the camping site which must be used in the next six months.
It’s a pretty poor way to do business. I doubt if we will use the caravan park
again ever.

We drop in to the Carnarvon Visitor Centre and I leave some of my Way Out
West drawings order forms as the manager away from the office. As we drive
slowly down the main street, we look out for a newsagent and see one on the
other side of the road. I park and walk over to the shop where I leave a sample
and some of my postcard order forms. On the way out the door hear someone call
my name. Turning I see that it is my Uncle Len and we go over to where Aunty
Barb is sitting on a bench. I call Lexie over and we chat for a while. It’s
great to see them. They are in Carnarvon visiting my cousin, Graham. They have
brought Graham’s kids up for a school holiday visit from Kalbarri, where they
live with their mother. I am able to explain Dad’s current condition to Len and
Barb.

The road to Geraldton is also fairly straight and the country flat. Before
we pass the Overlander Roadhouse we see the 26th parallel sign, which
tells us we are leaving the northwest, a fact which makes both of us fairly
glum. We stop at Billabong Roadhouse for lunch and have to eat outside at
benches where the wind blows cold as I have made my own cheese and salad roll,
which they won’t let me eat indoors. I find this fairly unfriendly as I have
bought a coffee from them and Lexie has bought a salad plate. It isn’t until we
get near to Northampton that we see undulating hills and patchworks of green
wheat and yellow canola, making for a more interesting view out the windscreen.
Driving into Geraldton is like driving into any city; lots of commercial
buildings along the highway and lots of traffic. We drive over the large
interchange bridge, turn right and pull into the Best Western Motel where we
are staying the night. It’s good to be in a nice room where we can rest. There
is a cold wind blowing and we know we are back in the south. Later we go to the
Thai Restaurant for dinner where we drink a toast to our big long trip.

Saturday 20 July

This is the last leg of the trip and we’re both very tired. We sleep in
to 7.30 am and get to breakfast by 8.00 am. We go in to town before leaving to
withdraw money to pay for Sox’s lodgings. I also drop off some info about my
Way Out West book at the Lattitude Gallery. It would be a fine place to show my
Way Out West drawings if they were interested. They sell very expensive pearl
jewellery and local visual art. I also drop of some info about my new CD to the
Geraldton CD shop. They have sold my CDs in the past so maybe they will do so
again.

On the road again and we stop at Dongara for a coffee at the Coffee Tree
Café. I have done a drawing of the large Morton Bay Fig tree outside the café
so it’s good to go and sit in one of my drawings. We fuel up at the Caltex
garage and purchase some sandwiches for lunch. “We’ve only got white bread,”
says the woman who makes the sandwiches, so that’s what we get. We eventually eat our sandwiches at a park in
Gin Gin, a little town 5 kilometres off the road. It is cold and the wind blows
straight through us. Yes it’s winter in the south and we better get used to it.

At Muchea will pull into Prideland Kennels and pick up Sox. He appears
to be pleased to see us and happily lets me lift him in to the front of the
car. We get in to Stoneville around 4.00 pm and unpack. Scotty has gone down to
his farm near Mt Barker and won’t be back until tomorrow. It’s good to be home
but it is mighty cold. I chop up some wood and light the wood heater in order
to warm up the house.